Descrição

Description Summary:

Come and see Rio de Janeiro, its past, present, and future, from the perspective of history, architecture, and landscapes, walking calmly along the Olympic Boulevard. Observe the Olympic Pyre, the Museum of Tomorrow and the largest mural in the world.

Highlights:

Observe the Olympic Pyre, the Candelária, the Museum of Tomorrow, and the “Wall of Ethnics,” the largest mural in the world.

Get to know the history, the architecture and the landscapes of Rio de Janeiro from the Olympic Boulevard.

Admire the Olympic Pyre created by American artist Anthony Howe, with beautiful images, when moving.

Take a “selfie” close to the 20 pointed star sculpture created by the American sculptor Frank Stella in the mirror of water of the Museum of Tomorrow.

Observe the solar panels of the Museum of Tomorrow inviting us to understand the planet sustainability by collecting its energy.

Transport in executive vehicles with personalized service and accompanied by multilingual Tourist Guide.

Schedule:

14: 00 pm – Departure from the Meeting Point in General Osório Square, Ipanema, next to the subway B access. Please, arrive 10 minutes before at 13:50 pm.

Note: Upon request, by a message, we can pick up the group at the same lodging location, including port Cruise, within a 15 km radius of the meeting point, at a previous time that allows us to arrive at 13:50 at the meeting point.

18:00 pm - End of the tour. Arrival in Ipanema, at General Osório Square.

Description:

The official names of this route did not become popular: “Orla Conde,” the name of the stretch that goes from the Imperial Palace to the Mauá Square, and “Porto Maravilha,” which includes the stretch between Mauá Square and AquaRio, an area of warehouses. The route turned out to be popularly known as “Boulevard Olímpico,” a venue designed for events promoted during the Olympic Games.

The walk begins at the Imperial Palace, or XV Square, where we can observe a relic of the architecture of the colonial period. Built in the 18th century under the command of the Viceroy, Marquis of Lavradio, the Colonial Fountain was an icon of the city when calling attention to being quite bold for that period. The fountain is all worked in carved stone.

At that time, the Fountain was a source of water supply for the population. As it was near the quay, it was also used to provide water to the vessels. By the stairways of the fountain, built by Master Valentim, the Portuguese royal family arrived in the early nineteenth century under pressure from Napoleon's French troops.

Next to the Cultural Space of the Navy is a replica of the old caravels of the XV century. This Nau was designed based on documentation about the vessels of the time. Inside it, one can see an exhibition on the daily life of sailors at the end of the fifteenth century.

From this point of view, in a 360-degree turn, we will see impressive constructions surrounding the Olympic Pyre. The France-Brazil House is an old neoclassical building, designed by the architect Grandjean de Montigny, who was part of the French Artistic Mission invited by Dão João VI, Arrived in Brazil at the beginning of the 19th century. This building housed the first Commerce Square, inaugurated in 1820.

From this point of the Olympic Boulevard, you can see the Island of Snakes, site of the Navy Arsenal. Observe, as well, the historical Fiscal Island where a ball, beeing known as "The Last Dance of the Empire," was held a few days before the Proclamation of the Republic, at the end Of the 19th century.

Next to the France-Brazil House is the Cultural Center Banco do Brasil, the CCBB, a neoclassical building, was built at the end of the 19th century to host the city's Commercial Association. Soon after, Banco do Brasil acquired it to operate as headquarters. It became a symbol of the financial world. Around 1990, it became a Cultural Center being the most visited cultural institution in Brazil and the 20th in the world, according to The Art Newspaper, a 2015 publication of England.

The construction of the church of Candelaria was the consequence of the promise of a couple of Portuguese who saved from the storm that struck the ship Candelária, who brought them in the early seventeenth century to Brazil, they would erect a hermitage dedicated to Our Lady of Candelaria. This church features elements of various styles from baroque to art nouveau. Its exuberant interior, in neoclassical and eclectic styles, deserves to be visited.

One of the must-sees for tourists and locals is the work of North American artist Anthony Howe, who created the Olympic cauldron in a dynamic structure that creates beautiful images when moving, whether with the Olympic fire lit or under the reflection of the sun on his spatulas Rotating. Viewed from different angles, Olympic Pyre has as background Candelaria, the Island of Cobras, the architectural ensembles of the France-Brazil House and the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center or the Navy Arsenal. Several angles that generate beautiful photos.

Following the walk, we will arrive at the Navy Arsenal built at the foot of the Monastery of São Bento. The Arsenal had the function of repairing the ships after constructed in the second half of the eighteenth century. At that time, the capital of the colony became Rio de Janeiro, the most important geographic location in the disposal of gold from the Minas Gerais state mines.

The Monastery of São Bento also follows the history of the city. The construction started at the end of the 17th century when the city was transferred from Cara de Cão hill, next to the Sugar Loaf, to the castle hill in 1565. The interior of the Nossa Senhora de Monserrat church is richly lined with gilded carving In baroque and rococo style, and other architectural elements of different periods, as a consequence of the construction that crosses the centuries XVII and XVIII.

We arrived at Plaza Mauá. Take advantage of this point of view, because from here we will see more clearly the past, the present and the future in a 360-degree turn. With your back to Guanabara Bay, observe the different architectural styles of the buildings that surround the square, inaugurated in the early twentieth century. In the center, we see a monument with the statue of Visconde de Mauá, a daring entrepreneur for his time, a forerunner of early capitalism in Brazil in the second part of the nineteenth century.

Also noteworthy is the first skyscraper in Latin America with 22 floors, quite high for the time of its construction in the "art deco" style, the late 1920s. It contrasts with the postmodern style of the building known as RB1. While the former conceals the hill of Conceição that keeps vestiges of the dwellings of the first years of century XX, the RB1 has behind him the hill of the Monastery of São Bento, another landmark of the history of the city.

As we look towards the MAR, Rio Art Museum, we will see two buildings and a structure representing a wave that covers them. The Palace of the Dom João VI, from the beginning of the 20th century, and the building of the old city bus interconnect to form the museum.

MAR intends to integrate art, history, and education through the School of the Eye, through activities that relate formal education to the educational process that has as its motto art and visual culture.

Here it is worth stopping to appreciate from above the whole square and its monuments. Take the elevator up to the terrace of the MAR and enjoy the view of the Rio-Niteroi Bridge, the Museum of Tomorrow, the Morro da Conceição and the outskirts of the square with the mooring of tourist ships.

In this way, the two museums complement each other, since the Museum of Tomorrow, the work of the architect Santiago Calatrava, is dedicated to exploring, thinking and projecting the future. Moreover, taking a fresh look at these themes helps us reflect on the future we want. Its outer structure already invites us to understand the sustainability of the planet since it uses more than five thousand solar panels, which in the form of pimples, follow the movement of the sun to collect from it the energy utilized in the interior of the museum.

One of the most coveted spots for “selfie” lovers is the 20-pointed star created by the American sculptor Frank Stella. It stands in the mirror of water between the museum and Guanabara Bay.

On the way to AquaRio, one can admire several murals. Among them, of course, the "Todos Somos Um," We Are All One, mural by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra stands out with works in other countries such as England, the United States, Greece, Italy, Japan, France, Russia, Sweden, among others. Guinness World Records recognized it as the largest mural in the world.

The work, inspired by the Olympic hoops, represents peace and unity among peoples. The "Wall of Ethnics," as it is also known, depicts the five continents using the faces of natives. The Huli, from New Guinea in Oceania, the Mursi, from Ethiopia in Africa, the Kayin, from Thailand in Asia, the Supi, Of Europe, and the Tapajós, of the Americas. It becomes one of the biggest attractions of the Olympic Boulevard, mainly for “selfie” lovers. Another mural that deserves to be appreciated is the Carioca artist Panmela Castro work, who created a panel celebrating the victory of the Greek goddess Nice.

Finally comes the newest attraction in Rio de Janeiro which is AquaRio, the largest aquarium in Latin America. At the beginning of the 20th century, Rio had already innovated in the launching of the first saltwater aquarium, built in the current Public Drive facing the bay of Guanabara. AquaRio has 28 tanks in addition to a reservoir where you can see sharks and other giant fish, through an acrylic tunnel. The AquaRio deserves to be visited but allows an hour and a half for this.

After this tour, you will be able to choose the next scheduled visit to some of the attractions seen from the outside during the walk.

Mapa e direções

RIO DE JANEIRO, ALONG THE OLYMPIC BOULEVARD-SMALL GROUP TOUR
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Metro Access B of the General Osório Square, Ipanema, at Rua Jangadeiros No 15, Ipanema, CEP: 22420-010, next to the BIG NECTAR snack bar. Starts at 02:00 pm, ends at 07:00 pm.